New York Public Library

Just came across two wonderful photographs.

The New York Public Library, under construction, 1908:

Who here has read The Alienist, by Caleb Carr? I loved that book, and SO wanted to see New York at that period in time … he made me feel like I could. Anyway, I would love to wear a long dress like the lady crossing the street at the bottom of the photo, and carry a parasol.

Hard to believe the NYPL wasn’t always there. And those lions. Those lions definitely have something of eternity about them.

And here’s the New York Public Library, on a snowy night in 1948:

This entry was posted in Personal and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

15 Responses to New York Public Library

  1. Linus says:

    Yep, I read Alienist, as well as the sequel. The books really capture something that might not be so much of the age as of our nostalgia for the age: fun to read.

  2. red says:

    Totally fun. I especially loved the description of trying to cross the street at Union Square, and what a death trap it was. Who knew???

    :)

  3. Dave J says:

    I love that building, especially the lions, and those are two great pictures. But you KNOW the NYPL will always immediately make me think of the opening of Ghostbusters.

    “No human being would stack books like this!”

  4. Ted says:

    I’ve read both the Alienist and the sequel. Excellent, and they carried me into their time.

  5. peteb says:

    I haven’t read The Alienist.. but I love the photo of NYPL on a snowy nght in 1948.

    “Anyway, I would love to wear a long dress like the lady crossing the street at the bottom of the photo, and carry a parasol.”

    And.. Why not???

  6. Anne says:

    I think, if I recall correctly, someone in my class in high school dated Caleb Carr–back then, when she was 16 and he was in his 20s.

    Irrevelant to how cool the book is. But just popped into my head.

  7. red says:

    Anne – there was a crazy article about the house he designed in the NY Times recently. He sounds like a real nut – kind of tortured, actually.

  8. Anne says:

    Yeah, I could totally see that.

  9. red says:

    peteb: Exactly. And why not??

    There’s a reason my blog is decorated with Gibson Girls. I missed my era.

  10. Chai-rista says:

    I love the way Carr can evoke a convincing sense of being there. I’d really like to read that book again.

  11. peteb says:

    ’bout time you had a themed gathering then, Sheila.

  12. red says:

    Chai-rista –

    me too. I liked the first one better than the second one. I was hoping he would launch an entire series – a la Sherlock Holmes – with that same cast of characters. I am shocked (shocked!) a movie hasn’t been made yet.

    I SO want to play Sara. That was her name, right? What an awesome character.

  13. Laura (southernxyl) says:

    I liked The Alienist. Didn’t care for the sequel so much.

    Sheila, have you read Jack Finney’s Time and Again? If not you really ought to take a look. I think you’d like it a lot.

  14. Mr. Lion says:

    Ah, but how many people know the names of the lions?

    And google is cheating.

  15. red says:

    Patience and Fortitude!!

    No, I didn’t Google it. Terry spilled the beans in the D-day post below.

Comments are closed.